Tag Archive | "Boston College"

COLLEGE PARK, Md. – After a heartbreaking 20-18 loss at home to NC State last week, the Maryland football team will look to rebound and move one win closer to bowl eligibility when it takes on Boston College this Saturday. The Terps and Eagles will be meeting for just the 10th time in a series in which Boston College has held the upper hand. Boston College has won six of the nine meetings and five of seven since joining the ACC in 2005.

First-and-10

• In the loss to NC State, Maryland overcame a season-ending injury to quarterback Perry Hills and was in position to win in the game’s final seconds, while totaling a season-high 462 yards of total offense. Backup quarterback Devin Burns ably directed the spread-option attack in the second half, rushing for 50 yards and a touchdown and completing three of four passes for 47 yards. Burns’ mobility helped create lanes for freshman Wes Brown, who ran for a season-high 121 yards, with 97 coming in the second half. Heading into preseason camp, Burns was set to play wide receiver; only after C.J. Brown’s season-ending injury during camp did Burns switch to quarterback.

• On top of Burns’ performance, true freshman quarterback Caleb Rowe entered the game with 0:32 left to direct Maryland’s 2-minute offense. Rowe moved the Terrapins 61 yards in three plays, sandwiching passes of 17 and 33 yards with an 11-yard run. That set up a 33-yard field goal attempt that would have won the game, but freshman Brad Craddock’s attempt clanged off the left upright. Rowe became the 13th true freshman to play for Maryland this season, which is tied for the sixth most in the FBS (see list, page 3).

• Maryland’s defense continues to rank as one of the nation’s best. The Terps rank 11th nationally in total defense (288.4 ypg), sixth in rushing defense (87.6 ypg) and tied for 29th in passing defense (200.9 ypg). NC State totaled just 40 rushing yards on 26 attempts (1.5 yards per carry) and became the fourth Maryland opponent this season to fail to gain 100 yards on the ground. Maryland has an experienced front seven highlighted by senior defensive linemen Joe Vellano and A.J. Francis, and senior linebacker Demetrius Hartsfield. Those three have played a big role in holding opponents to an average of just 2.53 yards per rush, which ranks fifth nationally. Adding to Maryland’s strength up front are senior linebackers Kenneth Tate andDarin Drakeford. Tate, who made his season debut at West Virginia after missing the previous 11 games due to a knee injury, has 18 tackles and four pass breakups in four games back. Drakeford, meanwhile, has constantly been in the opponents backfield; his 6.0 sacks are tied for third in the ACC, and his 8.0 tackles for loss are tied for seventh.

• Maryland’s 7.4 tackles for loss per game are tied for 17th in the FBS and its 2.9 sacks per game are also tied for 17th. Vellano leads the ACC and is tied for 14th nationally with 1.64 tackles for loss per game. Linebacker Cole Farrand is third on the team with 6.0 TFLs.

• Offensively and on special teams, wide receiver Stefon Diggs continues to be Maryland’s most dynamic playmaker. Against Virginia, the freshman returned the game’s opening kickoff 100 yards for a touchdown and went on to catch four passes for 89 yards. Over the last four games he’s averaging 92.0 receiving yards per game, while his 166.0 all-purpose yards per game this season rank second in the ACC and 11th nationally. Additionally, Diggs leads the conference in kickoff return average (28.4 yards) and ranks fifth in punt return average (10.3 yards), while his 19.0 yards per catch are tied for third. Diggs had a stretch of three straight weeks in which he earned ACC weekly honors (Rookie of the Week – WVU, Wake Forest; Specialst of the Week – Virginia).

• Marcus Leak has also turned into one of Maryland’s most reliable players on offense. The sophomore is second on the team in both receptions (23) and receiving yards (393) and against NC State caught four passes for a career-high 94 yards.

Quick Hitters• Maryland’s close game against NC State is one of a number of close calls in recent history. In the last 13 contests, 11 have been decided by 10 points or fewer. Aside from a 37-0 Maryland win in 2007, the 11 games since 2000 have been decided by an average of 6.0 points. The Terps have played in close games all of the 2012 season; their average margin of victory is 5.5, and their average margin of defeat is 5.0.

• Stefon Diggs earned ACC Player of the Week honors in three straight games from Sept. 22 to Oct. 13. Diggs won Rookie of the Week for his play against West Virginia (9/22) and Wake Forest (10/6) and Specialist of the Week against Virginia (10/13). A Terp captured Linebacker of the Week honors in two straight games when Demetrius Hartsfield earned Linebacker of the Week for his play against Wake Forest, and Darin Drakeford received the award against Virginia.

• Diggs ranks seventh in the conference and first among freshmen with 73.4 receiving yards per game. Diggs, who has 27 catches for 514 yards, is just outside the top 25 on Maryland’s single-season receiving yards list (see list page 6).

• Diggs is the only Maryland freshman to record back-to-back 100-yard receiving games (vs. West Virginia and Wake Forest) since at least 1985, the earliest game-by-game statistics were recorded at the school.

• Maryland allowed Wake Forest to complete just 32.4 percent of its passes (13 of 38). That is the lowest percentage by an opponent with at least 30 passing attempts since Duke went 13 of 42 (30.9%) on Nov. 14, 1998.

• Joe Vellano’s father, Paul Vellano, was inducted into the Maryland Athletics Hall of Fame on Oct. 5. The elder Vellano was a first team All-American in 1973, while Joe was a second team All-American in 2011. The father-son combo represent one of four known father-son All-America combos to attend the same FBS school (also Lee and Travis McGriff at Florida; Kevin and Drew Butler at Georgia; Archie and Eli Manning at Ole Miss).

• Thirteen players have made their first career starts at some point this season. In the season opener against William & Mary, quarterback Perry Hills, running back Albert Reid, safety Sean Davis, defensive back Jeremiah Johnson, linebacker Cole Farrand, nose tackle Darius Kilgo and offensive lineman Nick Klemm debuted. Against Connecticut, wide receiver Stefon Diggs made his first career start; defensive back Isaac Goins and running back Brandon Ross made their starting debuts at West Virginia. Defensive back Anthony Nixon and offensive linemen Mike Madaras and Andrew Zeller made their first starts vs. Wake Forest.

• Fourteen players saw their first career action for Maryland against William & Mary, and 23 players have seen their first career action for Maryland at some point this season (13 true freshmen, seven redshirt freshmen, two juniors, one senior).

• The Terps are holding opponents to 2.53 yards per carry, which ranks fifth nationally. Of the opponents’ 242 rushing attempts this season, 165 (68.2%) have been for three yards or less (28 of 41 vs. William & Mary; 28 of 39 vs. Temple; 25 of 40 vs. Connecticut; 20 of 25 vs. West Virginia; 21 of 29 vs. Wake Forest; 25 of 42 vs. Virginia; 18 of 26 vs. NC State).

• Demetrius Hartsfield leads the team with 64 tackles and is just outside Maryland’s top 15 with 324 in his career. He needs seven stops to pass Kevin Walker for 15th on Maryland’s career tackles chart (see list page 3).

• The Terps have done a good job controlling the clock. In seven games, Maryland has had the ball for an average of 31:28 to 28:32 for the opponent. That’s a major upgrade compared to 2011, when Maryland averaged just 25:16 a game to 34:44 for the opponent.

• Head coach Randy Edsall hands out game balls for each win. Most recently, Darin Drakeford received the defensive game ball and Stefon Diggs got the special teams game ball for the win over Virginia (see complete list, page 6).

• Against William & Mary, Perry Hills became the first true freshman starter at quarterback for Maryland since Latrez Harrison in 1999. He also became the first freshman to start a season opener since redshirt freshman Calvin McCall on Sept. 2, 1999, in a 6-0 win over Temple.

• Maryland and Boston College will face off for the 10th time Saturday. The Eagles own a 6-3 edge in the all-time series, including a 2-1 advantage in Chestnut Hill, Mass.

• Last season, Boston College won 28-17 in College Park behind 243 rushing yards from Rolandan Finch. The Eagles have won three of the past four in the series. The Terps snapped a BC three-game winning streak in the series with a 42-35 victory over the eighth-ranked Eagles in 2007. Maryland won 24-21 in its last trip to BC, in 2010.

• Prior to 2007, Maryland’s only win in the series came in 1985 when the Terps beat the Eagles 31-13 in Foxboro, Mass.

• The Eagles have won five of the seven meetings since Boston College joined the ACC. Maryland fell 31-16 in College Park in 2005, and 38-16 at Boston College in 2006. The Eagles also upended the Terps, 28-21, in 2008 in Chestnut Hill, Mass.

“Well for us it’s the next man mentality. We have some guys ready to play, I’m not going to get into a lot of specifics with scheme and what we’re doing. You know, we have to get somebody ready to play Saturday, and we’re doing all the things necessary in practice to determine who, how much, and what we’re going to do as the week progresses.”

On if using both quarterbacks is an option:

“Well obviously the goal is trying to figure out if one of those guys, or both of those guys are capable. We need to kind of get through the week to figure out whether we play both or whether we play one. We were able to go yesterday, and today’s a huge day for us. This is where we get a better understanding of day two of the installation and working on all the different things to figure out what they can and cannot get accomplished.”

On the success historically playing multiple quarterbacks in a game compared to one:

“From a historical standpoint I can only speak on the experience I’ve had playing two. The answer to that is we’re going to do whatever it takes to get a win. We’re not playing two, or we’re playing one just for the sake of it. We’re going to play the guys or guy that gives us the best chance to win. We’re going to spend this week putting together some game plans and getting these guys out on the field and see what they can execute. Then making some decisions at the end of the week that will obviously affect our ability to get a win on Saturday.”

On if going through a similar scenario losing C.J. Brown helps cope with losing Hills:

“It never gets easy, I know that. But I can tell you the way Randy [Edsall] has developed the mentality of this team, the whole next-man mentality, whether it’s the quarterback position, the offensive line, or any position on this team, if a guy goes down, no need to fret or worry as coaches. We have to get the next guy ready, or next guys depending on the situation. Our team has developed that personality, and as coaches whoever the guy is we have to put together a plan that we can execute against Boston College offensively to put points on the board and win a ball game.”

On what he likes about Caleb Rowe:

“Obviously he has a skill set where he throws the ball very accurately, and a lot of people try and say he can’t do certain things. Well he’s as athletic as Perry, I think he’s a mixture of both Devin and Perry. So, that’s a benefit for us, because whoever the guy is he’ll still be able to do some of the same things that gave us an opportunity to move the ball. Now what we have to do is find a way to put points on the board when we need them.”

On how the emergency quarterbacks are looking:

“A lot has been thrown at them. We’ve been very fortunate that we have Coach [C.J.] Brown and Coach [Ricardo] Young helping out getting quarterbacks ready to play. Then, trying to teach guys who’ve played the position you only have so much time, and that’s where guys like C.J. Brown and Ricardo Young have been great assets for us. They’re both smart guys. I think having [Brian] McMahon being on the offensive side of the ball a lot of the pre-snap stuff is easier on him because he’s taking signals, our tight ends take signals from the sideline. I’ve been pleased with both their efforts trying to learn the things we’re going to ask them to do if they’re called upon in an emergency.”

On how involved C.J. Brown has been since recovering from his injury:

“We’ve kept him involved, that’s the way Randy likes to do things. Obviously he has some rehab things and some things he had to attend to immediately coming out of the surgeries. But as quickly he’s been able to get off the crutches from a safety standpoint, he’s been out there. Taking coin tosses, on the sideline, on the headsets, so it’s been invaluable having a guy like him, and even Ricardo [Young] spends a ton of time around here studying it. They’ve both been really helpful with the development of the young quarterbacks. It’s just great to have those guys involved.”

Brian Stewart

On the play of Darin Drakeford this season:

“He’s just been doing a great job. I mentioned before those positions have always done a pretty good job. I mentioned DeMarcus Ware and Shaun Phillips when we were in San Diego. That guy has to be a guy who has some pass-rush ability, has to be tough because he’s going to be chipped by backs. Drakeford’s personality fits that perfectly, he’s done a great job.”

On the play of Joe Vellano and his tackling ability:

“I don’t know about wrapping up, but we practice tackling every day, every chance we get. Tackling is more attitude than anything. It’s 90 percent want-to and 10 percent technique. I think Joe brings that ‘I want to get to that guy and I want to tackle somebody’ attitude and I think that’s where he stands out.”

On the play of Jeremiah Johnson;

“I think J.J.’s play has been consistent, and he’s continued to play consistent. There’s times when things happen, but his demeanor is a perfect corner’s demeanor. It’s a fluke, it won’t happen to me again, and he goes after it as aggressive as he did the first time. He’s a kid that improves every game, because he takes notes, he looks at himself on tape, he looks at himself at practice, and he takes feedback and criticism well. It’s not easy when someone tells you you’re doing something wrong or you just got beat. You’re already feeling sorry for yourself, but he doesn’t come in with that attitude. He comes in with the ‘OK coach what could I have done here?’ And then you tell him and that’s what he tries to do.”

On the challenges Boston College’s offense presents:

“Their quarterback Chase Rettig, there’s a couple plays where you see him just stand there in the pocket and throw the ball 60 yards. He can throw it outside the numbers, he can throw it down the field, he has an extremely strong arm, the receivers do a great job running downfield and getting underneath the ball. I think [Johnathan] Colemen’s height is a problem for us, because we’re about six inches shorter than him. [Alex] Amidon does a good job of running routes and getting to the ball. So, those guys especially with that quarterback, present a problem just because of the big play potential.”

On if Kenneth Tate is back to 100 percent:

“I don’t know if at this point in the season if anybody is 100 percent, let alone Kenny. But I think he’s done a great job of understanding what we need him to do and executing what we need him to do. One-hundred percent? I think that’s something he would need to answer, but I just think he’s doing what we’re asking him to do and he’s doing it at a level that we can be successful with.”

“We’re going to head back out to practice today and get ready for Boston College. We’re going to see a Boston College team that’s playing very hard, competing, but just coming up a little bit short. They have an outstanding quarterback in Chase Rettig and Alex Amadin is a very good receiver. You also throw in Andre Williams the running back and a big offensive line and they present you with some problems on that side of the ball.

“When you look at the defense, they have an outstanding linebacker corps in Kevin Pierre-Louis, Nick Clancy and Steele Divitto. They are active up front and a team you know is going to play hard and give you some things you maybe haven’t seen before. We have a tremendous challenge again to go on the road and play another ACC team and our guys are really looking forward to it and looking forward to getting back out to practice.”

On quarterbacks Devin Burns and Caleb Rowe:

“I think when you have a chance to see the two young men go out and perform….you saw Devin on Saturday and what he did in terms of his feet and his running ability, I think it kind of speaks for itself. Then we see Caleb come in and scramble out of the pocket and make some of the throws he did. They are both excellent quarterbacks. They are both guys I trust, our guys trust and our players trust to be able to do the job and do it effectively. We’ll put a plan together knowing either one of those guys could go in the game and play at any given time. We’ll find out on Saturday what that plan is going to be.”

On if he’s had a quarterback situation like this in the past and how he handled it:

“I have been through this before. I had a [defensive back] that we had to get ready to play quarterback in Darius Butler when I was at Connecticut. So, no, this isn’t new territory for me. We will take Shawn Petty and Brian McMahon practicing at quarterback to get a third guy. You feel bad for the guys that get hurt, but injuries are something that you can’t control. So you always have to have a plan for the ‘what ifs.’ You work with what you have to go out and win the in the game. I’m not panicked, upset, or frustrated. You just roll with the punches and go out to get yourself ready for a win.”

On if he would have preferred to redshirt Rowe:

“Ideally, yes I would have liked to redshirt him. We had made the decision to go with Devin as number two and Caleb at number three. I told him he had to be ready and be prepared because he hasn’t gotten many reps. In practice he would just do the 2-minute drill and 7-on-7 with the defense. But he has been in the meetings and taking notes. I think it was so impressive that he went in and preformed the way he did with such minimal reps. Ideally, we would have wanted to redshirt him but we weren’t afforded that luxury.”

On what he tells his players during a week like this:

“I’m going to tell them today when we meet that we believe in anyone that we put in the game. We believe in them and trust in them and know that they can do the job to help get a win. They just need to go in and execute the plan we have for them to the best of their ability. Everybody has to rally around those guys and support them and also do their own jobs as well. We tell them not to let their teammates down. Be prepared and know what you’re doing.”

On what he can expect from Shawn Petty and Brian McMahon at quarterback:

“We’ll find out as we go out to practice today. We want to get them to understand as much as they can so they can go out and manage the offense. Brian at least being on offense, kind of knows it. Shawn it will be a little bit different because he was a defensive guy, so he has to learn some terminology. But both guys will be able to throw and run the ball, I’m sure. It’s like riding a bike. They didn’t forget how to run or throw the ball by not having played quarterback for the past few months.”

On when he expects to make a decision about who will start as quarterback:

“We’ll have a really good idea by the end of the day on Thursday after seeing three days of practice. Am I going to say anything at the end of the day Thursday? That’s too far in advance to know that. But we could come out and say something on Thursday or wait until game time.”

On what earned Wes Brown the starting job and if it was in part due to Devin Burns being at quarterback:

“I think that we have seen Wes perform really well in the game without Devin in other situations. Coming off that injury; Saturday’s game, it just allowed us to get him some more work. When you’re running the read-zone, defense has to make a decision. One of the decisions is who are they going let run the ball. You got to make sure to take the quarterback away or the running back away. That’s something where the quarterback has to do a good job of reading. Sometimes it’s going to open up where the running back or the quarterback will benefit, based on the defense. Wes can have that kind of production with Devin or without Devin.”

On if some of the gloom of all the injuries has been mitigated by the fact they’re two wins away from bowl eligibility:

“There’s no gloom around here. If you see our kids, they’re not down in the dumps. It‘s like the old mule that fell into the well without water in it, and the farmer doesn’t know how to get the mule out of there, so he figures that he will just cover the old mule up. So what happens is, he start’s throwing dirt down there, and the mule ends up just shaking it off and stepping up. And before you know it, there’s enough dirt and he’s at the top and just comes out of it. That’s how I look at it. We are just trying to get win number five. The third win in the ACC and the fifth win overall. I just told our guys that everything we want is still ahead of us. That’s what we have to have our focus on and prepare for to keep it that way.”

On designing the game plan for Saturday:

“I don’t think that we’ll do anything differently. We’ve been doing the same things with Perry, Devin, and Caleb all through the preseason. There are things that you will do with each guy based on his specific skill sets.”

On Caleb Rowe’s ability to run:

“I think Caleb is a more than adequate runner. He is by no means as fast as Devin. But he has good running ability and we have seen him execute our offense during the preseason and we know he can do all of the things we would ask him to within our offense.”

On what kind of player Devin Burns is:

“He is a kid that loves to play the game. He is somebody who has a smile on his face all of the time and is a tremendous competitor. He has a quick release, is athletic enough to make plays with his feet, can read defenses well, and is someone who our players respect. When you can come in and do what Devin did and also what Caleb did in the second half coming off the bench, I have a tremendous amount of respect for each one of those guys. Both of them were very poised and I was very impressed.”

On if he’ll design the playbook to keep the quarterbacks healthy:

“We have to do the things that need to be done in order to give our team the best chance to win games, using the guys that we have. You cannot sit there and try to worry about people getting hurt if you run a specific play. We will do the best we can to utilize their skills and get other guys ready to go just in case.”

On how Brad Craddock has handled the last few days:

“We went out and did a little bit of PAT and field goal work on Sunday. We as coaches just have to do a better job to make sure that he has the same leg swing every time. We have to keep working with his technique and his fundamentals. He has the leg and he has the right attitude. I was a little mad at myself because I wish I had taken the opportunity to talk to him before he went out there [to attempt the field goal at the end of Saturday’s game]. We just have to keep working with him and showing him on tape why he missed the ones that he missed and ensuring that he has the right leg swing every time. Brad will be fine.”

On the Boston College offense and what makes quarterback Chase Rettig so special:

“Chase Rettig is what makes them go. He can move around in the pocket and he likes to move to throw the ball. BC has a big offensive line and they do a good job of pass protecting and they have good receivers to throw the ball to. They put up those numbers from an offensive standpoint because of those things.”

On what defensive back Jeremiah Johnson has done to play well:

“I think that J.J. has worked really hard to hone his craft. When you watch him play, he does a good job of preparing and studying. When he sees certain sets he knows what will be coming. He does a good job of watching receivers during the week and understanding their tendencies. He has a lot of confidence, and you have big pass breakups like he has had, those only build your confidence. J.J.’s skills have come from hard work and preparation, not only during the season, but also from his hard work during the summer.”

On if he has seen wide receiver Nigel King coming along recently:

“I see a guy who is getting more confidence. Nigel is a great guy, but was never sure of himself. Now you can start to see the confidence come out. He sat out a year, and I know that was not any fun for him. Now you can see him out there and he is enjoying himself and you can see his confidence building. As long as he can stay healthy and continue to work very hard he can be a very productive player for us.”

On the play of the offensive line last week:

“I thought we were a little bit better. We were nowhere near where we needed to be, but I thought the communication was a little bit better and I was not displeased with the way we played. I thought there was improvement, but we still have much more to do with that phase of our game.”

The 14th annual ACC/Big Ten Challenge Presented by DICK’S Sporting Goods on Nov. 27-28 will be highlighted by North Carolina at Indiana, Ohio State at Duke and North Carolina State at Michigan, six programs expected to be highly ranked entering the 2012-13 season. ESPN, ESPN2 and ESPNU will combine to televise all 12 games of the two-day event matching top college basketball programs playing for conference supremacy and the Commissioners Cup.

All 12 games will also be available via WatchESPN, which delivers live access to ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU and ESPN3 on PCs, smartphones and tablets to fans who receive ESPN’s linear networks as part of their video subscription from Comcast, Time Warner Cable, Bright House Networks or Verizon FiOS TV.

The 2012 Challenge involves nine teams ranked in an ESPN.com early preseason top 25, including five of the top nine: No. 1 Indiana, No. 5 Michigan, No. 6 NC State, No. 8 Ohio State and No. 9 Michigan State.

The ACC won the first 10 Challenges while the Big Ten captured the Commissioner Cup for the third consecutive event, including an eight to four win advantage over the ACC last year. In the event of a 6-6 tie, the Commissioner’s Cup will remain with the conference that won the previous year. 2012 Challenge highlights:

Off a Ratings High: ESPN’s telecast of Ohio State’s 85-63 victory over Duke last year was the highest-rated and most-viewed Challenge game ever, averaging a 2.6 rating and 2,618,000 households. The telecast propelled ESPN to its most-viewed Challenge, averaging 1,555,000 households, based on a 1.6 rating.

One more Shot at the Dozen: Duke, which has won 11 of its 13 Challenge games, will host Ohio State in its quest for an event-record 12th victory. Duke lost to Ohio State last year and to Wisconsin in 2009.

First Challenge Matchups: Four of the telecasts will feature first-time Challenge matchups: Virginia at No. 22 Wisconsin, Maryland at Northwestern, No. 9 Michigan State at Miami and Georgia Tech at Illinois.

In addition to first-time Challenge games, several of the teams are infrequent opponents: Michigan State and Miami have never met; Northwestern and Maryland played one other time, a Northwestern victory in 1958; Virginia and Wisconsin split its two games, Virginia in 1975 and Wisconsin in 1999; and Illinois has defeated Georgia Tech in six of its seven games, including the last one in 2001.

Tourney Teams: Eleven teams between the two conferences played in the 2012 NCAA Tournament: Duke, Florida State, North Carolina, NC State and Virginia from the ACC, and Indiana, Michigan, Michigan State, Ohio State, Purdue and Wisconsin from the Big Ten.

Following a First with a Rematch: Boston College and Penn State and Nebraska and Wake Forest will follow first-time Challenge meetings with a second consecutive showdown in the event.

Boston College, which won its first five games, lost to Penn State last year, while Nebraska lost its Challenge debut to Wake Forest.

Threepeat: Five of the games will mark three-time Challenge matchups: North Carolina at Indiana (Indiana win in 2001 and North Carolina in 2004), NC State at Michigan (Michigan win in 2003 and NC State in 2006), Ohio State at Duke (Duke win in 2002 and Ohio State in 2011), Iowa at Virginia Tech (won by Virginia Tech in 2006 and 2009) and Purdue at Clemson (Purdue win in 2003 and Clemson in 2007).

Three and one more: Minnesota and Florida State will meet for the fourth time (Minnesota won in 2000 and Florida State in 2004 and 2007).

2012 ACC/Big Ten Challenge schedule (times and networks are to be determined):

Vellano on Lott Trophy Watch List
Senior is one 42 players on the preseason watch list

NEWPORT BEACH, Calif. – Maryland’s Joe Vellano was named to the 2012 Lott IMPACT Trophy watch list. The award honors the top collegiate defensive player in the country.

The list of 42 players, including seven from the Atlantic Coast Conference, was announced at a luncheon Monday held by Ronnie Lott, the NFL Hall of Fame safety, and the Pacific Club IMPACT Foundation.

Vellano, a senior in the fall, was a second team All-American and a consensus first team All-ACC choice last season. He led the led the Football Bowl Subdivision in tackles by a lineman (7.8 per game).

The native of Rexford, N.Y., also ranked in the top 10 in the league in both fumble recoveries (two/0.17 pg) and fumbles forced (two/0.17 pg). Vellano is a two-time team captain.

Boston College’s Luke Kuechly captured the 2011 Lott IMPACT Trophy.

The 2012 preseason watch list includes seven players from last season, headlined by 2011 finalist Manti Te’o of Notre Dame. There are 18 linebackers, 13 defensive backs and 11 defensive linemen on the list.

Voting for the Lott IMPACT Trophy will take place throughout the season with the winner announced Dec. 9 at the annual awards banquet in Newport Beach, Calif.

WASHINGTON, April 25, 2012 – The Tewaaraton Foundation has announced the 2012 Tewaaraton Award men’s and women’s nominees, presented by Panama Jack. Twenty five women and 25 men were selected as nominees, from which the 12th annual Tewaaraton Award 10 finailists (5 women, 5 men) will be selected and honored May 31, 2012, at the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of the American Indian in Washington, D.C.

The women’s award nominees include players from 17 schools, including 2011 winner Shannon Smith (Northwestern) and representatives from 16 of the current top 20 teams in the April 24 IWLCA Division I Poll. Maryland (Kari Ellen Johnson, Iliana Sanza, Katie Schwarzmann) and North Carolina (Kara Cannizzaro, Becky Lynch, Laura Zimmerman) led all schools with three nominees each. Schwarzmann and Smith have been nominated for a second straight year.

Dana Cahill, Goalie – Penn State University

Kara Cannizzaro, Midfield – University of North Carolina

Ally Carey, Midfield – Vanderbilt University

Kitty Cullen, Attack – University of Florida

Brittany Dashiell, Midfield – University of Florida

Emma Hamm, Attack – Duke University

Kristin Igoe, Midfield – Boston College

Karri Ellen Johnson, Attack – University of Maryland

Becky Lynch, Attack – University of North Carolina

Alayna Markwordt, Attack – Ohio State University

Alyssa Murray, Attack – Syracuse University

Josie Owen, Attack – University of Virginia

Marlee Paton, Midfield – Loyola University

Sarah Plumb, Midfield – Dartmouth College

Iliana Sanza, Defense – University of Maryland

Katie Schwarzmann, Midfield – University of Maryland

Shannon Smith, Midfield – Northwestern University

Jessi Steinberg, Attack – Cormell University

Maggie Tamasitis, Attack – University of Notre Dame

Mary Teeters, Goalie – Towson University

Sophia Thomas, Midfield – Georgetown University

Taylor Thornton, Defense – Northwestern University

Michelle Tumolo, Attack – Syracuse University

Kim Wenger, Midfield – Duke University

Laura Zimmerman, Midfield – University of North Carolina

Five men’s and five women’s finalists will be announced May 10 and invited to the Tewaaraton Award Ceremony. The original men’s and women’s watch lists, were announced Feb. 15 with additions made March 20 and April 3 and were ultimately comprised of 82 men’s players and 57 women’s players.

“We congratulate these 50 elite student-athletes on their remarkable accomplishments thus far this season,” said Jeff Harvey, chairman of the Tewaaraton Foundation. “With the help of our selection committees, we look forward to announcing this year’s finalists next month.” The selection committees are comprised of 12 men’s and ten women’s current and former coaches.

For more information on the Tewaaraton Award, please visit www.tewaaraton.com. Like and follow The Tewaaraton Foundation at www.facebook.com/Tewaaraton and www.twitter.com/tewaaraton.

About The Tewaaraton Foundation

First presented in 2001, the Tewaaraton Award is recognized as the pre-eminent lacrosse award, annually honoring the top male and female college lacrosse player in the United States. Endorsed by the Mohawk Nation Council of Elders and US Lacrosse, the Tewaaraton Award symbolizes lacrosse’s centuries-old roots in Native American heritage. The Tewaaraton Foundation ensures the integrity and advances the mission of this award. Each year, the Tewaaraton Award celebrates one of the six tribal nations of the Iroquois Confederacy – the Mohawk, Cayuga, Oneida, Onondaga, Seneca and Tuscarora – and presents two scholarships to students of Iroquois descent. To learn more about The Tewaaraton Foundation, please visit www.tewaaraton.com.

About Panama Jack

Panama Jack is an international company that has built a powerful brand and loyal following with product offerings synonymous with a carefree beach lifestyle. Its offerings include suncare products, sunglasses, beach apparel, sandals and shoes, hats, jewelry, and beach chairs and umbrellas. Panama Jack added home furnishings to its product offerings in 2011, introducing its Home Collection and Outdoor Collection that allow people to live the Panama Jack lifestyle at home. The company also launched branded luggage and beach-cruiser bicycles in 2010, as well as opening the first of several Panama Jack retail stores at top travel destinations. Founded in 1974, Panama Jack is based in Orlando, FL. To learn more, please visit www.panamajack.com.

We’re going to see “American Reunion” Thursday night/Friday morning at midnight in White Marsh. If you’re not going to see “American Reunion” Thursday night/Friday morning at midnight you’re a terrible human being and I don’t want to be your friend. So just make it simple and come with us. We’ll probably hit Tilted Kilt before then.

But honestly, if you don’t go see this movie you’re just the worst person of all time…